


FebuWhump2021 Day 27: “I wish I’d never given you a chance”

by startrekkingaroundasgard



Series: FebuWhump2021 [27]
Category: Ant-Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Arguing, F/F, Good Intentions, Missions Gone Wrong, Unresolved Emotional Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:16:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29734449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/startrekkingaroundasgard/pseuds/startrekkingaroundasgard
Summary: The reader makes a mistake that could cost Hope her parent’s lives.
Relationships: Hope Van Dyne/Reader
Series: FebuWhump2021 [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2156145
Kudos: 5





	FebuWhump2021 Day 27: “I wish I’d never given you a chance”

“Hope, just stop for a minute and let me explain. Please.”

She shook her head and shoved past you, flicking switches seemingly at random to redirect her anger away from you. Somehow it made it even worse that, even after all this, she still cared enough to not want to hurt you. Hope’s fingers stilled, hovered over the highly technical work station, and you thought that she’d finally look at you.

However that hope quickly shattered as she returned to tapping a screen to input a long series of numbers. You hovered at the end of the bench, the cold chill in the workshop only increasing your discomfort. It was as if the very building itself was trying to freeze you out of her life for good.

“Hope -”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Hope said sharply. She pursed her lips together, something like regret flashing across her expression, before the angry lines smoothed from her face and a calm fell back into place. “You knew how important it was that I got that part. The consequences of not getting it. And now…”

You looked away, unable to watch how her entire body tensed, pain slipping through the cracks of her calm. Those dark eyes were alight with drive, but not for scientific curiosity. The flame was fuelled by fury and, even worse than that, disappointment. She had every right to feel that way. If Hope, in all her brilliance, couldn’t find a work around then her parents could be lost forever. Having waited for so long to be reunited as a family, you knew how much it hurt to be separated from them again. And the single thing capable of bringing them back in one piece was lost, all because you’d dropped your guard and let someone else take the part from you.

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s not going to bring my parents back, is it?”

She still hadn’t looked up from the control panel and you could almost feel your chances to explain, to move forward from this, slipping through your fingers like grains of sand. And, really, you understood. Of course you did. This was absolutely your fault and Hope had every reason to be mad at you. Hank and Janet were probably going to be lost forever because of your mistake.

It was almost funny, really. The deal for the small device had gone perfectly. Even though Hope and her family were no longer on an FIB watchlist, it was the sort of part that only certain people could get – some kind of alien power source; you didn’t understand exactly, and neither did Hope truthfully, but it was the only thing capable of producing enough anti-protons for Hope’s needs.

Your contact had been shady as hell but he’d seen the big bag of cash and tossed the fragile piece over the table top with a grin. No fighting, no arguing over price. Just a simple black market deal with a side of crunchy fries to enjoy on the drive back. That was when it had gone wrong.

Hope had been working for almost two weeks without any real sleep. You couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually been outside. As you drove back to the lab, you’d spotted a beautiful bouquet in a window, made of her favourite flowers. You’d thought: if she couldn’t go outside, you could bring a little nature in for her. It was while you were waiting for the florist to wrap up your bouquet that someone broke into your car and stole the part.

You should never have left it on the front seat, that much was obvious, but how were you to have known that someone would take it? And now people’s lives, people you cared about a lot, hung in the balance.

“Hope, I…”

She shook her head, cutting you off before you could explain. “I wish I’d never given you a chance. I should have left you to tinker in your basement lab instead of bringing you in on something as important as this.”

Swallowing back tears, you asked, “Is there anything I can do?”

“Unless you can magic up another Skrull actuator unit, just leave.”

You nodded and wordlessly grabbed your coat. Even as you prepared to leave, not sure if you’d ever be welcomed back, you set the pretty bouquet on the table and stared at the card. To Hope, with love. For a moment, you considered taking it with you but in the end left it among the flowers. Maybe one day she would be able to forgive you.


End file.
